Polycythemia vera: Essential management protocols

  • Farah Ashraf Khan Department of Anesthesiology, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar (Pakistan)
  • Riaz Ahmed Khan Department of Anesthesiology, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar (Pakistan)
  • Muhammad Iqbal Department of Anesthesiology, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar (Pakistan)
  • Safdar Hussain Department of Anesthesiology, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar (Pakistan)
Keywords: Polycythemia vera, Stem cells, Erythrocytes, Erythrocytosis

Abstract

Primary polycythemia (polycythemia vera) is a hematopoeitic stem cell disorder giving rise to proliferation of a clone of hematopoietic precursors leading to an excess production of erythrocytes with thrombocytosis and leukocytosis. The optimum management of polycythemia vera remains elusive. Patients requiring surgery are at increased risk of both perioperative thrombosis and hemorrhage. On one hand, thrombosis can lead to multi organ ischemia and infarction while on the other, bleeding diathesis can lead to profuse perioperative hemorrhage; both posing considerable risk to the patient’s health and stress to the anesthesiologist concerned directly with perioperative management of the patient. Hence, management guidelines for polycythemia vera needs to be clearly understood and tailored to each patient individually and appropriate management protocols need to be de! ned accordingly.

Published
02-02-2019
How to Cite
Khan, F. A., Khan, R. A., Iqbal, M., & Hussain, S. (2019). Polycythemia vera: Essential management protocols. Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care, 91-97. Retrieved from https://mail.apicareonline.com/index.php/APIC/article/view/493
Section
Review Article